LONG BEACH, Calif. -
Construction is underway on renovations to the men's and women's basketball and volleyball locker rooms in the Walter Pyramid. The improvements were made possible by a generous $2 million donation by Debbie and Glen Bickerstaff.

"Expanding and renovating locker rooms for the Walter Pyramid teams is essential if we are to compete for NCAA championships and national recognition," Long Beach State Director of Athletics Vic Cegles said. "Thanks to the generous commitment of Debbie and Glen Bickerstaff we will be able to recruit top student-athletes and provide them state of the art facilities to enhance their training, development and learning. Hopefully, this gift will encourage others to support our vision and plan for all 49er athletic facilities."

Construction on the project began on Monday, March 26, with a completion date set for the end of July. The upgraded locker rooms will benefit both basketball and volleyball programs providing additional space, as well as state of the art amenities.

"First rate facilities are critical in the success of a college basketball program," LBSU men's basketball coach Dan Monson said. "We have that at Long Beach State with the Pyramid. Now we will also have that with our new locker room facilities. I sincerely want to thank the Bickerstaff family and commend everyone involved in the endeavor. With the completion of this project our facilities will be second to none, and this is essential as we continue to elevate our program."

The Bickerstaff's are long-time supporters of the Long Beach State campus and provided the gift that allowed LBSU to create the Bickerstaff Center for Student-Athlete Academic Services which allows 49er athletes to excel in the classroom.

"To be adding something of this quality to a tremendous facility like the Walter Pyramid is beyond my expectations," LBSU women's volleyball coach Brian Gimmillaro added. "We're very grateful to the Bickerstaffs for being so involved with the community and this university."